This study was carried out to experiment the dimensional stabilization of woods of red pine (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.) and sugi(Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) by vacuum impregnation of polyehtylene glycols(PEG) with mo. wt. 200, 400, 600, 1000; polypropylene glycols (PPG) with mo. wt. 425,725 ; PEG-acryloylates, and PPG-acryloylates synthesized, and then by water soaking. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The density of sapwood and heartwood was different from each other in both species. 2. The PEG and PEG-macromers with lower molecular weight by impregnation has increased the density of wood specimens more higher, thereby caused their higher volume expansion, and those with higher molecular weight than 600 has tended to down their density increment. 3. Before and after water soaking, the density decrease of specimen impregnated was high in woods impregnated with simple PEG and PPG, while lower in specimens impregnated with PEG-macromers and PPG-macromers. 4. So PEG-macromer was expected to hold the original dimension of decayed wood for antiques, but it was necessary to develop another penetration method as well as aqueous solvent.

To understand whether ligninolytic enzyme catalyze polymerization or depolymerization of the high molecular weight (HMW) lignin, the action of laccase and Mn-peroxidase (MnP) towards commercial ligninsulfonates (LS) was examined in various conditions of pH and cosubstrates. Polymerization occurred when LS was incubated with laccase at pH 6.0. In contrast, the high molecular weight portions were significant1y reduced at pH 4.5, especially when glucose was added. When LS was treated with MnP at pH 4.5, compounds of low molecular weight were produced. In particular, when cellobiose was added to Mn-P reaction mixture, the breakdown of LS was observed. In conclusion, degradation of LS by laccase and MnP occurred primarily at pH 4.5 where-as polymerization of LS was dominant at pH 6.0. Color index, however, was not greatly changed in the degradation mixtures of LS.

The rates of fixation of CCA-Type B and CCFZ in blocks of radiata pine sapwood were compared at various temperatures and conditioning methods (drying and nondrying conditioning). Also the time required to proper fixation of preservative components in the treated wood was estimated. Fixation was monitored by the rates of depletion of free hexavalent chromium in the cell lumens in the teated blocks. The rate of preservative fixation in wood was highly temperature dependent. The fixation rate was considerably accelerated by means of heating and complete fixation of hexavalent chromium was achieved within about 12 hours by heating at . The moisture content of treated wood during fixation apparently played an important role in the fixation process. The fixation rate of treated wood conditioned in nondrying conditions was much more faster than that of treated wood conditioned in drying conditions. particularly when the moisture content of treated wood was below fiber saturation point. Time required to full fixation could be predicted successfully using the fixation temperatures applied since the correlation between the fixation temperature and the fixation time was excellent. regardless of conditioning methods.

The plywoods commonly used as decorative interior materials for the construction are inflammable and so it is a causative factor for making fire accidents, resulting in the destruction of human life and personal properties. Indeed, it is, therefore, required to produce fire-retardant plywoods. In this study, a special grade of defect-free, Kapur plywood was used. Specimens were cut into 3- by 20cm dimensions from 120- by 240- by 0.33-cm panels(thin panel) or 120- by 240- by 0.5-cm panels(thick panel). Some specimens were treated with diammonium phosphate(DAP), but some were not treated with diammonium phosphate to use as control panels. Chemical absorption, drying curves, drying rates and dynamic Young's modulus were investigated. The results were summaries as follows; 1. The specimens were soaked into 19% diammonium phosphate solution by a full cell pressure process and the diammonium phosphate retained in the thin and thick plywoods was 1.409kg/, 1.487kg/, respectively. 2. Diammonium phosphate-treated plywoods were redried with press-drying process at one of either condition dried on the platen() for a period of time or dried on the platen() for 3 hrs plus in a dry-oven() for 24 hrs. or dried on the platen() for 2 hrs plus in a dry-oven() for 24 hrs. The drying rate of treated thin specimens dried at plus and only was found to be 0.04 %/min. and 8.53 %/min. Similarly, the drying rate of treated thick specimens were 0.03 %/min. and 6.77 %/min. respectively. 3. It was evident that highly-significantly different drying rate of treated plywoods was observed between plywood thicknesses and platen temperatures and the rate was increased by elevating the platen temperature up to . Based on the two-way variance analysis, highly significant drying rate was observed from the interaction between plywood thicknesses and platen temperatures. 4. After redrying, the specimens were weighed and reconditioned to a constant weight in a facility maintained temperature () and relative humidity(65%) prior to test dynamic Young's modulus. The test revealed that the thin specimens dried at the platen temperature of , , and untreated specimens showed 1.070E+09 dyne/, 1.156E+09 dyne/, 1.243E+09 dyne/, and 1.052E+09 dyne/, respectively. Likewise, the thick specimens revealed 5.647E+09 dyne/ 5.670E+09 dyne/, 6.395E+09 dyne/ and 5.415E+09 dyne/, respectively. 5. It was evident that significantly different dynamic Young's modulus was observed between the plywood thickness and the platen temperature, but not in the two-way interaction between the plywood thicknessthe platen temperature.

The anatomy of Korean diffuse-porous woods, 36 families, 75 genera, 145 species, 215 specimens was described and analyzed. Sixteen wood anatomical characters, habit and phenology factors were determined by simple correlation and principal component analysis. Strong positive correlations were found between vessel element length and fiber length, ray width and ray height, simple pits of fiber wall and paratracheal parenchyma distribution. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) disclose the primitive characteristics and the direction of xylem evolution of Korean diffuse-porous woods. The xylem evolution scenario for Korean dicotyledonous woods is considered to be developed in the direction of decreasing trends of vessel frequency, vessel element length, and length/diameter(L/D) ratio of vessel element but increasing trends of vessel diameter, fiber length/vessel element length(F/V) ratio, libriform wood fibers, simple perforation, and homogeneous ray composition. Increase of vessel diameter and decrease of vessel frequency seem to be related to the improvement of conductive efficiency, and increase of the vessel element length and occurrence of scalariform perforation in vessel element may be related to enhanced of conductive safety. Also the libriform wood fibers and ray features appear to have relationship with mechanical support and nutrient metabolism, respectively.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the role of oxalic acid metabolism in the incipient decay of brown rotting, and to investigate the effects of various compositions of culture medium. Until 5days incubation, the amount of oxalic acid produced by Tyromyces palustris was increased, while pH was gradually decreased. The difference in oxalic acid production depending on carbon sources was not significant and the pH adjustment of media did not stimulate the production of oxalic acid. In this experiment, hemicellulose was hydrolyzed with 1% oxalic acid, so it is suggested that nonenzymatic acid hydrolysis of hemicelluloses might be involved in the process of incipient decay of brown-rot fungi.

The treatability of Japanese larch heartwood was assessed by pressure treatment of non-incised dimension material with CCA or CCFZ. The effectiveness of incising(conventional, high density, and needle incising) for improving CCA treatability on refractory Japanese larch heartwood was also investigated. Preservative retention and penetration were somewhat greater with CCFZ treatment, although those was generally poor in both preservatives. The retention gradients for both CCA and CCFZ-treated stock were essentially the same shape. Treatment of non-incised material with CCA acheived the recommended treatability for using treated wood at the regions of hazard class H2 in the Japanese Agricultural Standards. However, Japanese larch heartwood would require incising as a pretreatment for enhancing treatability, if CCA-treated larch is intended to be used at the regions of hazard class H3 and H4. As expected, incising resulted in a considerable improvement of preservative treatability, particularly penetration, and the effect of incising on the improvement of treatability was excellent at the sequence of needle incising, high density incising, and conventional incising. Among incising techniques investigated in this study, high density and needle incising enhanced CCA treatability beyond the point where it did meet a minimum requirements specified by the Japanese Agricultural Standards for using CCA-treated Japanese larch at the regions of hazard class H3 and even H4.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of heat treatment on the dynamic viscoelasticity of three species of Phyllostachys bambusoides, Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis and Phyllostachys pubescens, grown in southern Korea. The bamboo was treated for 3~24 hours at , and then was treated in a climatic chamber for 3~48 hours at and 95% relative humidity. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 1. Dynamic Young's modulus decreased with increasing temperature and duration of the heat treatment. 2. Internal friction decreased with increasing treatment duration. 3. Moisture absorption decreased with increasing temperature and duration of the heat treatment. 4. Dynamic viscoelasticity decreased, whereas internal friction slowly increased, with increasing moisture content.

Eight types of thin composite panels were manufactured by press-lam and mat-forming process applied to optimum manufacturing condition, studied in former first research by author (1995). They were tested and compared with control boards on dimensional stability, internal bond strength, tensile strength, Screw withdrawal strength, and bending properties. These thin composite panels manufactured by mat-forming process were generally superior to those by press-lam in dimensional stability and mechanical properties. In the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of thin composite panels manufactured by mat-forming process, the thin composite panels (A and E type) composed of particle or sawdust core and veneer face with polyethylene film, were as good as those of common plywood (control board). Internal bond strength showed highest value in the thin composite panel(D type) which composed of particle core and polypropylene screen face with polyethylene film. The thin composite panels(G and H type) composed of sawdust or particle core and polypropylene screen face with polyethylene film by press-lam and mat-forming process, showed most highest value in dimensional stability and water absorption.

Cyclic tests were performed with dowel joints which are being widely used for furniture manufacturing in Korea. In this study, effects of various factors-such as species of joint members, diameter and length of dowels, and space between dowels-on stiffness, strength and damping ratio of joints were evaluated and concluded as follows: 1. Under cyclic loads, failure of dowel joints were caused by bending failure of dowels. 2. Dowel joints were evaluated to be stiff but general load carrying capacities were relatively low. 3. Joint moduli and damping ratios of dowel joints decreased as diameter and length of dowels, and space between dowels increased. 4. In dowel joints, properties of dowel itself have greater effects on stiffness and strength of joints than properties of joint members.

This experiment was conducted to screen a superior wood-rotting fungi for lignin degradation and ligninolytic enzyme production by evaluation of red colored zone width on potato-dextrose agar medium and oak woodmeal medium complimented guaiacol. Relationship between the red colored zone width on GU-WA medium and klason lignin loss on woodmeal medium showed the positive correlation. Thus, the potential ligninolytic activity of wood rotting fungi which are not elucidated yet may be estimated to some extent by the evaluation of the red colored zone width on GU-WA medium. Of the isolates screened from fruit bodies and decayed woods. LKY-12, LKY-7 and C. versicolor-13 isolates having preferential lignin degradation and laccase activity were selected. These isolates exhibited characteristics of superior wood-rotting fungi as Klason lignin loss ranged from 30% to 35% and ligninolytic enzyme activity of these isolates on glucose-peptone broth was higher than that of other isolates. And then, these isolates were considered to be able to use in biological pulping and bleaching and ligninolytic enzyme production.